Head of a Priest
Artist:
Unknown
Place made:Mexico
General region:North and Central America
Culture: Maya
Period: Pre-Columbian
Date: ca. A.D. 600-900
Medium: Jade
Dimensions:
h. 2 3/8 in. (6 cm); w. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm)
Credit Line: The D. Joseph Judge, M.D. Collection donated by the Judge Family
Object number: 2002.24.4
Provenance: ex-collection of D. Joseph Judge, MD; by inheritance to James R. Judge, Pelham, AL, by 2002; by gift to the San Antonio Museum of Art, 2002
Label Text
Green was a significant color to the Maya because it was linked to the material world of water and corn and ideologies of a human soul/spirit, all of which were connected to concepts of life and death. Jade was also a precious stone becuase of its limited natural availablity within the Maya region. This jade piece may depict a Maya deity. The drilled hole in it indicates it could have been worn as an a pendant, attached to clothing or was a decorative element on a headdress. It was likely originally worn by a high ranking Maya royal. (Bernadette Cap, 2020)
On view
In Collection(s)
The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
